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 Why do we need sleep? How much sleep do we really need?By Labeib IshtiaqDecember 19th, 2019What is one act us humans spend almost one third of our lives on or approximately 229,961 hours on? Is it a daily act such as eating, reading, showering or sleeping? It's one of our daily acts that scientists all over the globe don’t really have a good explanation for. If you guessed sleeping then you are absolutely right! We all need sleep and most of us feel our best and also perform our best at tasks when we are fully rested with at least our average of 8 hour sleep. So then why is it that there is so much grey area in the topic of sleep which is undiscovered and is something which we have not yet attained the answers to despite all of our rapid technological advancements and researches.Sleeping has always been known as an act that has been something humans do to help rejuvenate themselves and relax inorder to function normally. For years scientists have believed that sleeping has a deeper meaning than just relaxing or just turning the brain off for a bit. Dr. Rechtschaffen a biochemist who graduated from Columbia University wrote “While we sleep, we do not procreate, protect or nurture the young, gather food, earn money, write papers, et cetera,'' he emphasized that mammals sleep rather than do other essential activities which shows how important sleep is. Scientists have discovered that sleeping healthy which varies per person but on average 8 hours of sleep has multiple health benefits as it enables the brain's intricate wiring system to form and to clear out waste products, helps the brain improve memory, helps reduce stress, can help maintain your weight, can reduce your chances of suffering from diabetes, can help keep your heart healthy, and can also make a person smarter. A good night’s rest is essential for us to maintain a healthy lifestyle due to the physical and mental benefits sleeping has on our body. While we all know how vital sleep is for us to function in society, not all of us get enough sleep. Some of us may not get enough sleep due to sleep disorders. In the US 50 to 70 million people suffer from one or multiple sleep disorders. We get carried away in our limited 24 hours a day life where some of us find it a tough task to manage to sleep for at least 8 hours a day on average. Rats totally deprived of sleep die within two or three weeks, according to research by the pioneering University of Chicago sleep scientist Allan Rechtschaffen. Not finding enough time to sleep may cause negative health effects such as a slow killer known as sleep deprivation. Not sleeping enough can cause obvious effects such as bad productivity serious mental and physical health risks. According to the news site healthline, sleep deprivation can cause memory issues, trouble with thinking and concentrating, mood changes, accidents due to drowsy driving, weakened immune system, high blood pressure, risk for diabetes, weight gain, risk of heart disease and on top of that sleep deprivation may also lower a persons sex drive. According to the American Sleep Association (ASA) “35.3% adults report <7 hours of sleep during a typical 24-hour period. 100,000 deaths occur each year in US hospitals due to medical errors and sleep deprivation have been shown to make a significant contribution”. According to the National Sleep Foundation, the amount of sleep varies based on ageNewborns (0-3 months): Sleep range narrowed to 14-17 hours each day (previously it was 12-18)Infants (4-11 months): Sleep range widened two hours to 12-15 hours (previously it was 14-15)Toddlers (1-2 years): Sleep range widened by one hour to 11-14 hours (previously it was 12-14)Preschoolers (3-5): Sleep range widened by one hour to 10-13 hours (previously it was 11-13)School age children (6-13): Sleep range widened by one hour to 9-11 hours (previously it was 10-11)Teenagers (14-17): Sleep range widened by one hour to 8-10 hours (previously it was 8.5-9.5)Younger adults (18-25): Sleep range is 7-9 hours (new age category)Adults (26-64): Sleep range did not change and remains 7-9 hoursOlder adults (65+): Sleep range is 7-8 hours (new age category)Although we know the effects of sleeping enough and sleep deprivation, scientists believe to have come across a new term in their research of sleep. The term discovered by scientists is sleep debt. So what is sleep debt? Sleep debt is caused by sleep deprivation. Sleep debt is the cumulative process of not getting enough sleep due to build up of losing hours of sleep. Catching up on sleep by increasing sleep time can help recover lost time but it takes a bit of time. Symptoms of sleep debt are similar to those of sleep deprivation they include yawning, moodiness, fatigue, irritability, depressed mood, difficulty learning new concepts, forgetfulness, inability to concentrate and a lack of sex drive. We all love napping, laying in bed and easily nodding off without a problem. Without a doubt, sleeping is an activity every mammal participates in due to it being a beautiful part of our nature. Our bodies work in mysterious ways and although we don't have all the answers to our questions for sleep, we do know one thing for sure that no one can live without it. ................
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